Self-care for Body & Soul

A lot of the time, self-care can be focused on mental health. Mental health is an incredibly important part of your life, but so is your physical body. It's all part of a cycle that feeds into itself: if you take care of your body, whether that's your skin or your muscles or your hair, you'll feel like you're in a better place mentally. And when you're feeling mentally healthy and in a good place, your body will show it, with a glowy shine that people outside of you will see and recognise. So it's important to do both to have a healthy body inside and out.

Sometimes, physical self-care can look like taking a bath or a shower when you need it and spending a little extra time stretching out some sore muscles. If you've been hunched over a laptop studying a lot recently, physical self-care can look like setting yourself a regular reminder to straighten up your back posture or stretch out your arms and legs. And if you've been binging Netflix and eating too many snacks, physical self-care can look like eating a healthy meal with plenty of good vitamins in it to replenish your body's essential nutrients. 

The best way to keep up with a self-care routine is just that - make it into a routine. If you wash your face and brush your teeth at the same time every night, try expanding that into also doing a quick 15 minute stretch or going for a walk before bed. (Studies show that exercise before bed makes you more tired and more likely to get a better, less fitful sleep too). If you find yourself becoming sore and unable to focus around the same time during your workday, set yourself a phone reminder to take a break to get some fresh air, get some sun on your face, and get rid of that restless energy. Once you do it enough, it will become a great habit to have!